Homelander, Sub-Zero Lead a Bonkers Team of Killer Villains Heading to DC K.O.

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It is always so fun to see superheroes cross paths with characters who originate from a universe different from their own, including even those who exist beyond the comic book medium. Fans of these kinds of crossovers will certainly not want to miss a new title cooking up at DC Comics.

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 is an upcoming one-shot that sees icons of the comic book publishing giant, such as Wonder Woman and various others, going head-to-head with a group of villains unlike anyone they have faced before, particularly because they are not native to their universe. Among the most notable foes featured in this line-up are Homelander from The Boys and the Mortal Kombat franchise's Sub-Zero.

Deadpool and the Infinity Gauntlet with Batman, Wonder Woman, Joker, Daredevil and Green Arrow around him

Marvel and DC Just Announced Their Next Super-Powered Crossover Story, With a Twist

Two iconic universes collide in an unexpected mash-up of epic proportions, and two new comic stories are now available for fans to read!

This story is tied to the ongoing DC K.O. event headed by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson. The concept calls to mind the plot of the popular Injustice: Gods Among Us video game series, as it depicts a fighting tournament between heroes and villains from across the DC Universe, which will decide who should be chosen to defeat Darkseid and put an end to his control over reality.

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 was previously announced at the Jim Lee & Friends panel at New York Comic Con before it even had an official title. The story comes from Jeremy Adams, who has written for the likes of Green Lantern and The Flash, most notably, and features art by Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ronan Cliquet and others. Darick Robertson, Patrick Horvath and Frank Cho are drawing the variant covers, along with Jeff Spokes, who is handling the wraparound variant cover.

Who Else Joins Homelander And Sub-Zero In DC K.O.: Boss Battle?

Homelander and Sub-Zero are not even the most shocking names involved with DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1. That is not just because The Boys was originally a DC property before the Wildstorm imprint cancelled it, allowing Dynamite Entertainment to swoop in, and because the Mortal Kombat character knows a thing or two about high-stakes fighting tournaments.

Other comic book characters confirmed to appear include Samantha Strong (a murderous anthropomorphic bear from lDW's graphic 2017 novel, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees), Red Sonja (a warrior who debuted in Marvel in the 1970s before transitioning to Dynamite in the mid-2000s) and the horror comic staple Vampirella. One character making her comic book debut in this one-shot, however, is Annabelle.

DC's Trinity holding up Apokolips from DC KO

The Stakes Are Finally Revealed in DC KO #1, And They're Bigger Than Expected

The DC Universe's next major fighting tournament is far more important than anyone expected, and it might just mean another Multiversal reboot.

Yes, indeed, that one creepy doll from the Conjuring movies is going to be involved in this hand-to-hand combat challenge between superheroes and other various villains. Considering what kind of hell the possessed child's plaything — inspired by a real, allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann doll — has put Ed and Lorraine Warren and others through, she just might have as good a chance as anybody to win.

According to the comic's official solicitation, the likes of Superman, Aquaman and other remaining champions in the K.O. tournament come at odds with these various, out-of-this-world characters when, as the final rounds are being prepared, they discover that the Omega energy needed to crown the winner as King Omega is in short supply. The epic crossover promises to deliver match-ups of unimaginably epic proportions.

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 goes on sale Feb. 4, 2026.